Date & Time:
Mar 26, 1979
Type of aircraft:
Ilyushin II-18
Operator:
Registration:
DM-STL
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Luanda - Lusaka
MSN:
186 0094 02
YOM:
1966
Country:
Angola
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
6
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The airplane was dispatched from Berlin to Luanda to transfer a load of weapons and ammunitions to the ZAPU (Zimbabwe African People's Union) militants based in Lusaka, Rhodesia. The cargo arrived from East Germany by boat and was transferred to the airplane. During the takeoff roll on runway 23, at a speed of 268 km/h, the engine n°2 failed. The captain decided to abandon the takeoff procedure and initiated an emergency braking maneuver. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, collided with the localizer antenna and crashed in flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 10 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Dieter Hartmann, pilot,
Jochen Wilsdorf, pilot,
Horst Umlauft, navigator,
Frank-Rolf John, flight engineer.
Crew:
Dieter Hartmann, pilot,
Jochen Wilsdorf, pilot,
Horst Umlauft, navigator,
Frank-Rolf John, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the engine n°2 failed 56 seconds after the crew started the takeoff procedure, at a speed of 268 km/h, well above the V1 speed fixed at 222 km/h. Investigations reported that the captain first decided to continue the takeoff procedure but eventually decided to abandon and initiated an emergency braking maneuver. The distance available was insufficient.
